PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 5, 2023
We can protect birds from our cats by keeping them indoors, attaching a bell to their collar or placing a brightly colored collar on the cat. A rainbow-hued collar is effective because birds have the uncanny ability to see bright colors and can easily spot an oncoming cat. A bell on the collar increases its effectiveness; both can be found easily online. Each outdoor cat kills approximately 34 birds annually, for a total of approximately 2.4 billion birds. Further, domestic and feral cats have contributed to the extinction of 63 species (40 birds, 21 mammals and two reptiles). Let’s take these simple precautions with our cats to protect our birds. ~ Rachel Burger, South Portland